Last Shot at Redemption
by flamethrowa
Summary: A sort of alternate version of Zuko's speech to the Gaang in 312 when he was trying to convince them to let him join the group. Some very subtle Zutara thrown in for kicks. Cautiously rated.


Last Shot at Redemption

Summary: An alternate version of Zuko's speech to the Gaang in 312 when he was attempting to join the group.

Disclaimer: I do not own AtlA.

"Zuko here."

Everyone bristled and prepared to fight me; Sokka drew his boomerang and the others got into bending stances, Katara drawing water out of the skein at her hip. Her eyes betrayed her hatred of me, fire and ice.

I raised my hands in the air and addressed them calmly.

"I am through chasing you. After facing down my father during your invasion, there is no chance that he will 'restore my honor', and I don't want him to anyway. I've come to teach the Avatar how to firebend."

"Yea, I'll bet you have, " spat the waterbending peasant. "Your sister'll grow a heart before you stop trying to catch Aang. You've pursued us from one pole to the other, so how could you possibly expect us to believe you?"

I started as the little earthbender murmured, "He wasn't lying to us, I didn't feel anything."

I jumped in quickly as Katara opened her mouth in protest. "I definitely wasn't lying. Give me one chance to speak and then turn me away if you must."

Eyes smoldering, Katara acquiesced with a stiff jerk of her head.

I took a moment to reflect on the crazy, torturous path which had brought my body to the most unlikely of places, and my heart to the most unlikely of conclusions. Heaving a sigh, I began to speak in a steely whisper, watching as they craned forward to hear me say what I had spent hours rehearsing to the frog in the forest.

'When I first left the Fire Nation, banished and humiliated, tossed from mountainous stature to the deepest valley of shame, my throne and my father's love were _everything _to me. But after I became a fugitive, my travels with my uncle shattered my worldview. They slaked my hunger for the approval of a monster that had caused so much pain and dispelled the ridiculous notion that I must also cause pain in order to regain my honor. "

"I've set out to end the war, renounced my throne, my family, and my nation in order to make things right. But I know that every day until harmony has been restored, and perhaps even after, I will look at myself and see a beast no better than my heartless father for the pain that I've caused each of you. I'm not trying to trick you; if I were trying to destroy you, my chances would be much better ambushing you, since you've posted no sentries, as opposed to surrendering myself, where you can watch me day and night. I realize I cannot expect you to give me your trust just like that. I'm not asking that of you. All I'm asking is a chance to make sure that the Avatar can fulfill his destiny by mastering the four elements . . . and so that I can have your forgiveness. I know nothing can erase the black taint that's been left on my soul, but that doesn't mean I can't try to purge it. My past torments me every single day, and now all I want is to help you."

Angry tears began running down my cheeks, my shoulders shook, and I looked up to see Katara's face soften for a fleeting instance before she let out a "hmmph" and crossed her arms, her countenance back to normal. The blind girl was unreadable and the oaf remained skeptical, but the Avatar's eyes seemed to hold a trace of sympathy. He looked to the waterbender, who glared at me. His face went blank for a moment before darkening.

"You've tried to kill me more times than I'd like to remember. No matter what Toph said, we can't risk trusting you, one of our greatest enemies."

I hung my head before letting out a growl of frustration. I turned away from them and channeled all my anger and despair into a huge fireblast, which I let loose with a roar. I turned back to them and began to yell when the peasant girl cut me off.

"GET OUT OF HERE, YOU SCUM!"

She punctuated this with a blast of water which hurled me into the air. I landed with all of my bones intact but none of my dignity. They all looked down at me imperiously.

"We'd better not see you around here again, or we won't hesitate to get rid of you," she muttered. The others nodded their approval.

I dusted myself off and stood, quivering with rage. Alarmed by this, they had quickly resumed their battle stances when an eerie stillness overtook me. Still suspicious but puzzled, they maintained their positions while giving me strange looks.

Suddenly, I gave a shaky, hysterical bark of a laugh. "You are the last resistance against my father. If you will not accept me, then I have no purpose left. And, as you said, I'm obviously too much of a threat to be left alive. Here, Katara. Maybe you'd like to do the honors?"

I tossed her my swords and unbuttoned my heart, pulling it back reveal my chest.

"Just stab me here, in the heart. Though I supposed you could behead me. Or you could even use an ice dagger. The possibilities are just endless," I said sardonically, staring at her stone-faced.

Given her threat not a minute before, it might have seemed as though I was taking a major gamble. But as passionate as Katara was, I was positive she was too compassionate to murder anyone in cold blood. Sure enough, shock and a bit of horror were plastered all over each of their faces.

Just to goad her and drive my point home, I began taunting them.

"You just threatened to kill me, now's your big opportunity. Come on, strike me down. No? Oh, that's right; if you kill me you're no better than my father!" I said scornfully, my voice rising to a crescendo.

"But you won't," I said quietly,my voice trembling with emotion,"because you are honorable. That is why I wish to join you. And face it, I'm the Avatar's only hope, regardless of whether or not you trust me."

I saw defeat on Katara's pretty face and knew that I had won. Warmth flooded my body when they officially decided to take me into the group. None of them were particularly happy about it, but they would come around in time. I would show them I had changed. And I would assist the Avatar so that he could defeat my father, and together we would restore balance to the world. I would make Uncle proud, and truly regain my honor.

Fin


End file.
